Early Snow!
Bill Larrabee at the Sebec Lake Weather Station reports that we now have about 20 inches of snow pack from all the snow that has fallen this fall. All this snow has put the end to most outside garden activities. Other years we have fretted over the lack of snow when cold temperatures hit since it often meant that our plants could be killed by the heaving action of the soil. The snow is insulation against the freezing and thawing action that can occur in the fall. So it is a great benefit to any perennial plants that we are trying to over winter.
Problems may come when the snow plows clear the snow from the roads, our driveways or when we shovel out our walkways. Yes, the snow needs to be cleared and salt needs to be used for public safety sake. Those huge snow banks will be the last thing to melt in the spring time. We can use less damaging deicers near our desirable perennials. Near the house consider using sand, gravel, sawdust, kitty litter or fertilizer. If using fertilizer remember to use sparingly since it can still burn plants when too much is used.
Plants are damaged by road use of salt as a result of the splashing of the plants when cars and trucks travel the road. The salt is either splashed on the needles or drains to the soil around the plant roots where it can cause the plants to die by pulling water out of the plant. Some plants are more susceptible to salt damage than others. Below is a chart showing salt tolerance of some trees and shrubs.
Source: Sebec Lake Weather Web Site at http://www.sebeclakeweather.org/ and The GardenPro Answer Book, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Oct. 2000.